Driving Permit for Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan drives on the right, and as a contracting party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic it recognises the 1968-format International Driving Permit. Official UK government travel advice is explicit: you need both the 1968 version of the IDP and your national driving licence with you in the car. Treat the IDP as a requirement rather than a nice-to-have — it gives traffic police an official translation of your licence, and document checks are a routine part of driving here. Arrange your IDP before you travel, as you cannot obtain one once you are in the country.

The practical reality of driving in Turkmenistan is different from most destinations. Self-drive car hire is scarce, and the large international rental brands are absent, so most foreign visitors travel by car with a local driver arranged through a tour agency. Random traffic-police checks and roadblocks are common on intercity routes, so keep your passport, licence and IDP within easy reach. Foreigners who take up residence in Turkmenistan must apply for a local driving licence through the Road Police Department.

Local rules are strict and strictly enforced. Drink-driving is zero-tolerance: drivers can be fined or jailed if any amount of alcohol is detected. Much of Ashgabat is subject to a 60 km/h speed limit enforced by both static and mobile speed cameras, with no warning signs marking camera locations. Outside the cities, roads are often unlit and in poor repair, animals wander onto the carriageway, and there is no roadside assistance — official advice is to avoid driving at night beyond city limits.